Pinoy Blog Machine (Beta)

It’s the travel peak season once again! For those who will travel which requires you to pass at an airport, it may feel almost like a miracle if you will have a hassle-free time at major local and international airports. Delays in the aviation industry are now getting more the attention in the news whether caused by extreme weather disturbances, national security concerns, mechanical/technical problems or just a simple (but getting habitual) late arrival of turnaround aircraft. The news are everywhere claiming that delays have gotten worse year-by-year.

Even the Philippines’ leading budget carrier Cebu Pacific advertised a few years back that their flights are leaving/arriving on-time 9 out of 10 times and even has a 90% on-time flights logo in their electronic tickets. But now I can’t see that logo anymore everytime I receive my e-ticket, guess what? So it is very safe to assume that their flights are now leaving and arriving late more than 10% of the time. YES they are!!! What happened? Why the delays continue day-by-day even they are now operating a much reliable brand new Airbus airplanes compared with aging DC-9’s and considering that their fleet were drastically increased?

You can blame the worsening ground and air traffic condition or how airlines operate their business but the point is the delays are sometime becoming unbearable for the passengers. We don’t pay airlines for us to stay long in a cramped airport with pathetic facilities which even does not include a functioning drinking fountain (if there’s even one).

So much for my ranting… As passengers, we can follow certain guidelines to help us prepare for that uneventful delay.

* The best time to fly is during the morning. Delays normally worsen throughout the day so if you are traveling early in the morning the chances of delays are greatly reduced.

* When booked with a connecting flight always leave enough time if you have to change airlines or go through long lines of airport security again. Budget airlines only offers point-to-point service, in other words they will not be in any reason be liable if you miss your connecting flight/s even if you are traveling with the same airlines.

* It always pays to read the “terms and conditions” section at the back of your paper ticket or at the airlines’ official website. It is the passenger’s duty to be familiar with the airline’s rule for baggage limitations, identification requirements and check-in procedures.

* The most important tip I can share to you is to “BE EARLY.” It is our responsibility as passengers to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to check-in and pass through security.

If you view these tips as inconveniences there’s a way to circumvent all the hassles that a passenger might endure… buy a Business Class ticket in that way there will be a shorter queue at the check-in counters as they have a dedicated counter for you plus you can enjoy the lounge facilities before boarding your on-time/delayed flight.

Research demonstrates time and again that Applied Behavior Analysis is an extremely effective method of significantly improving the lives of children on the autism spectrum. ABA consistently has been proven to be a successful method of teaching communicative, social, academic and daily living skills while decreasing inappropriate, harmful and problematic behaviors.

But how much benefit will a child receive if the intervention offered is not really an ABA model? Despite the overwhelming number of programs purporting to deliver such services, the reality is that currently there are no regulations requiring special education therapists and teachers who work with children on the spectrum to be certified or even trained in Applied Behavior Analysis. This comprehensive lecture series is designed to familiarize parents, therapists and educators with the fundamental principles and everyday application of ABA and how to incorporate those principles across home, school and community environments.

Module 1 (May 1) – The Principles of ABA: Understand the science of ABA and become familiar with how the principles work and their effectiveness with all ages and developmental levels. Topics to be covered include the A-B-C contingency, reinforcement and pairing, punishment and extinction, and motivation.

Module 2 (May – Natural Environment Teaching: How to use the child’s motivation to teach new skills and encourage generalization of existing skills. Emphasis will be on communication, play, motor and daily living skills, teaching to independence using prompt and fade techniques, how to collect data, and ways to include siblings and peers during natural environment teaching.

Module 3 (May 15) – Discrete Trial Teaching: Creating an effective “table session” using errorless teaching procedures to teach communication, visual performance and academic skills. Learn how to collect and graph data, and effective ways to transition skills learned during discrete trial teaching into the natural environment.

Module 4 (May 22) – ABA Progressions: How to identify long-term goals, solidify foundational prerequisites and advance through more complex communication, academic, daily living and social skills. Learn why our children do not “outgrow” ABA.

Module 5 (May 29) – Applying the Principles: Review and discussion of individual goals and implementation techniques. Participants who attended all five modules will create a specifically tailored plan addressing a targeted goal, and learn how to use that plan as a blue-print for additional and future intervention goals.

Presenters: To Be Announced
7 – 9 pm at the Greenville Community Church
270 Ardsley Road, Scarsdale, NY, USA

Registration Fees
Members – Free
Non-Members – $25 per Module or $100 for all 5 Modules
Need based scholarships available

This event is limited to 25 Participants only so early reservation is encouraged. Download the registration form here.

Source: Navigating the Spectrum

I’m to depressed and sad to go to work, or go out for that matter. But I miss the beach, the sound of the waves crashing, the way it throws me off the shore, the majestic view, the heat of the sun, holding hands while listening to reggae music and sipping mango shake, or drinking ice cold beer. I might go this weekend and the next and the one after that, but i’ve got no one to hold hands with. =( I just want to be alone and stay lost for a while, keep my mind off things.